Tamiya Lunchbox/Midnight Pumpkin Owners Club....

[Yrkoon]

19 hours ago, Cleon73 said:

Hey Guys

 

Builds going well so far, infact almost done, just got to build the front suspension, then put wheels on and I'll be good to go! 😁

 

yay awesome got any pics? 

 

blue thread lock is good for wheel nuts, stops them working loose 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Yrkoon

[Cleon73]

6 hours ago, Yrkoon said:

 

yay awesome got any pics? 

 

blue thread lock is good for wheel nuts, stops them working loose 

Good idea, one of the rear wheels did come off yesterday, I'll be popping to Halford later! 👍. I'll post some pics later too

[Yrkoon]

10 minutes ago, Cleon73 said:

Good idea, one of the rear wheels did come off yesterday, I'll be popping to Halford later! 👍. I'll post some pics later too

 

this is the thread lock i use on all my models   https://www.modelsport.co.uk/zap-technology-z-42-thread-locker/rc-car-products/14329

 

only use that on metal to metal parts, it screws up plastic and stay away from the red one, that thing is nuts for bonding if you want a part to unscrew use the blue one  😛

 

edit: looking forward to the pics im off to bed now total drunk 

Edited August 29, 2020 by Yrkoon

[Cleon73]

There she is, handles the garden great! 🤣

10 hours ago, Yrkoon said:

 

yay awesome got any pics? 

 

blue thread lock is good for wheel nuts, stops them working loose 

 

[Stormbringer]

looking good 

you enjoying so far ?

[Cleon73]

1 minute ago, Stormbringer said:

looking good 

you enjoying so far ?

 

Yeah, keeps flipping onto its roof, good fun, more or less got the hang of it though, not keen on the trigger controller, I'll get used to it I guess

[Stormbringer]

cool glad your liking it 

as for the controller once you get used to it you prob wont go back to stick type for cars 🍻

[Yrkoon]

Yay looking awesome  

[Cleon73]

Ok everyone, time for me to start thinking about upgrades

 

So, what shocks & 5th shock are everyone running, and what tyre options, if any, are available, I'd like some stud spike tyres,but can't see any on MS website

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Yrkoon]

1 hour ago, Cleon73 said:

 

 

Quote

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Yrkoon]

using these ones on the lunch box and dad has the same on his pumpkin https://www.modelsport.co.uk/fastrax-1-10th-75mm-aluminium-adjustable-shocks-2-/rc-car-products/17176

 

we used ftx surge  shocks for the 5th one on both my lunchie and his pumpkin.

 

delete the above post mods

[Cleon73]

5 minutes ago, Yrkoon said:

using these ones on the lunch box and dad has the same on his pumpkin https://www.modelsport.co.uk/fastrax-1-10th-75mm-aluminium-adjustable-shocks-2-/rc-car-products/17176

 

we used ftx surge  shocks for the 5th one on both my lunchie and his pumpkin.

 

delete the above post mods

Thanks, I'll go with them I think, why is everything out of stock! 🙄. Seems most things I look at on there are out of stock!

Edited August 31, 2020 by Cleon73

[Yrkoon]

3 minutes ago, Cleon73 said:

Thanks, I'll go with them I think, why is everything out of stock! 🙄. Seems most things I look at on there are out of stock!

 

yup thats coronas fault 

[Cleon73]

1 minute ago, Yrkoon said:

 

yup thats coronas fault 

Don't knock Corona, it's one of my favourite lagers.........oh wait..........you mean, THAT Corona..............right yeah 🤣

[Yrkoon]

8 minutes ago, Cleon73 said:

Don't knock Corona, it's one of my favourite lagers.........oh wait..........you mean, THAT Corona..............right yeah 🤣

 

i just drank 8 litres of 5% cider and on a bottle of wine, time for lucozade and sleep lol

[Yrkoon]

https://www.tamiyaclub.com/forum/index.php?/topic/95200-dads-pumpkin-and-my-lunchie/

 

[Cleon73]

Oops, broke her! Steering came loose and I overtighened the screw into the inner ball joint,  parts just arrived  so time to fix her up! 😁

[Cleon73]

All fixed, and now with added lighting!! 😁

[Stormbringer]

cool 

i fitted rear lights to my 1 as well they are same type as the front except red just drilled couple of holes in rear big enough for the lamp holders 🍻

[Cleon73]

I thought about doing that, but decided against it, wish I had now, they'll be part of whatever my next order is I think

 

Update :- rear reds fitted, just need to register her with the DVLA and she's road legal! 🤣

Edited November 3, 2020 by Cleon73
Rear lights

[Cleon73]

24 minutes ago, Stormbringer said:

cool 

i fitted rear lights to my 1 as well they are same type as the front except red just drilled couple of holes in rear big enough for the lamp holders 🍻

Did you use 3mm or 5mm red leds?

[Stormbringer]

i used the 1's Yrkoon linked to i think they are 5mm leds you should see them in Yrkoons vid of my Pumpkin tho 🍻

[craikeybaby]

"Finished" mine a while ago, but forgot to post a photo:

Vans by Lewis Craik, on Flickr

 

It has had some good use around the garden, and my 4 year old has been loving it. However, the steering arms keep dropping off the servo - I seemed to remember having this issue with the servo on another car about 10 years ago, so have ordered another servo. And some upgraded suspension...

 

 

Edited September 8, 2020 by craikeybaby

[bertberr]

Nice pair, makes a change seeing a non yellow Lunchie.  Can't see what colour the alloys are on the Transporter, but whatever they are you could always RIT dye the yellow wheels to match...or not, depending how sad you are...!!!  Coventry... I trust there's a very large and very sturdy piece of metal directly in front of that lovely van (the VW not the Tamiya)?!!!

[LunchBoxDad]

Evening Guys,

 

First ever post, so here goes.  I grew up with Tamiya and Schumacher kits (Thunder Dragon, Manta Ray and Bosscat - all of which shows my age) and I used to build them with my Dad during the winters.  My son has had a birthday and I wanted to buy him a Tamiya kit (mainly because they are familiar) and the LunchBox seemed perfect as they are so simple to work on.   He had a 1:16 RTR 4x4 buggy which was brilliant fun, one of those mental ones that does 45kmph, but it was basically in bits after my son smashed it around for three years.

 

We use the LunchBox around our local area and we have a great 2km circular route through some woodland which is ace - and the LunchBox tootles  its way around that without difficulty on a 4500mah Nimh battery.  We refer to it as the 'electronic dog' and it is getting us out of the house during these weird times.

 

It was originally going to remain pretty stock, but I am enjoying tinkering on it and adding bits and bobs.  I tend to be reasonably careful in what I buy and do quite a bit of research - and these forums have been a great source to work out what can be done to make the LunchBox a little more predictable.  My son has the attention span of a nat, so anything that makes it a little more predictable is good.  I appreciate it is an unpredictable platform and that is half the fun, but for me, the upgrades we have done (together) have been really good and it's been great to teach him how to use basic hand tools.  He's only 6  years old, but he absolutely loves his LunchBox and is really proud of it.

 

We haven't gone too mad:

• Custom stickers - I got told off by Home Command for the choice, but he chose them and was adamant - he likes the scary clown as it 'keeps the dogs away'
• Alloy pin posts - we snapped two plastic ones in the first ten minutes on his birthday - possibly by being a little over enthusiastic!
• Tamiya R/C Aluminium Hi Torque Servo Saver- the plastic one shed its screw on the second trip out and disappeared so had to be replaced and thought it might be good to get something more robust
• HobbyWing QuicRun 1060 Brushed Waterproof ESC - the Tamiya one that came with it wouldn't work or cooperate - I have no idea why so we got something better that is LiPo ready if we ever want to go down that route.  Its currently running from a 7.2v Nimh 4500mah battery which seems to give enough ooomph at the moment.  I used to be heavily into airsoft, so I am pretty familiar with batteries, their different flavours and the advantages/disadvantages of.  To be honest, I am amazed by how far the ESC technology has come on - the last time I did this kind of hobby, you had to build a mechanical speed controller with a servo - again, showing my age.
• Etronix Pulse GFSK Ex2 Sport 2.4GHz Wheel 2ch Radio and Etronix Pulse GFSK 3ch 2.4GHz Receiver - really impressed with this gear.  The receiver is tiny, easy to setup and the transmitter is great - range is amazing.
• Power HD 1812MG Waterproof Metal Geared Servo - 18kg - 0.12s - the Acoms AS17 stripped its gears in less than a month and this one seemed like a good replacement.  Lots more torque and power although I appreciate steering isn't really the LunchBox's thing
• Fastrax 1/10Th 75mm Alloy Adjustable Shocks (Pair) (front) - I was actually quite shocked (boom boom) how poor the stock shocks/springs are.  Being used to oil filled shocks with my previous kits when I was a kid, I was quite amazed that they ship the LunchBox with such pants suspension.  Again, that's just my view and I know lots of people leave them stock.
• Fastrax 1/10Th 85mm Alloy Adjustable Shocks (Pair) (rear) - the 75/85 combo gives it quite an aggressive stance which I like
• Tamiya Spring Mounts for the suspension mods
• Tamiya Lunchbox Midnight Pumpkin rear axle brace and front/rear strut brace set - from a chap from ebay which included a front shock mount bar and various bars to secure the rear end including the rear chassis brace.  I was looking at the 3D printed parts etc but this kit was available in the UK easily and I am slightly suspicious of 3D printed parts.  I am sure they are fine, but I couldn't be bothered with the hassle of importing.
• Metal bearings throughout from RCBearings - couldn't believe how cheap they were and easy enough to fit.  Was conscious that if we are going to go faster in the future, the plastic stock ones will just melt.  Massive improvement with them - why Tamiya don't ship them with metal bearings, I don't understand - although I am sure that is money related
• Awaiting a aluminium shockplate as I don't like how close the rear shocks are to the motor can - that will go wrong at some point I suspect so it needs to be changed.

What we would like to do next:

• Upgraded motor - we have a stock 540 on there at the moment, but my son is determined it needs more speed - to be fair, he can control it really well at full pelt and now that the chassis is braced and the suspension is sorted out, it is far more docile to play with, so I reckon we can handle some more power.  Any recommendations on motors would be appreciated; I don't want to go nuts and I am probably thinking a decent brushed motor rather than a brushless set which rips the internals apart.  I was actually thinking of a ETronix Sport Modified Brushed Motor - 19T instead of a Tamiya Sport Tuned one.  Like I said, any advice appreciated.
• Need to something about the stock wheelie bar which is basically useless - any suggestions?  I have heard about flipping it - but it needs a decent wheel on it - any links to any products?

Anyway, the LunchBox is a fantastic bonding experience for my son and I, puts a huge smile on both our faces and it gets us out of the house - which is what it is all about.

 

Couple of photos of the LunchBox from this evening

Look forward to speaking to you and any advice or guidance appreciated!